Systems and methods for alignment of check during mobile deposit

ABSTRACT

An alignment guide may be provided in the field of view of a camera associated with a mobile device used to capture an image of a check. When the image of the check is within the alignment guide in the field of view, an image may be taken by the camera and provided from the mobile device to a financial institution. The alignment guide may be adjustable at the mobile device. The image capture may be performed automatically by the camera or the mobile device as soon as the image of the check is determined to be within the alignment guide. The check may be deposited in a user&#39;s bank account based on the image. Any technique for sending the image to the financial institution may be used.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/224,944, filed Mar. 25, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/549,443, filed Aug. 28, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No.8,699,779, wherein the entirety of each of the aforementionedapplications is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Checks typically provide a safe and convenient method for an individualsuch as a payor to transfer funds to a payee. To use a check, theindividual usually opens a checking account, or other similar account,at a financial institution and deposits funds, which are then availablefor later withdrawal. To transfer funds with a check, the payor usuallydesignates a payee and an amount payable on the check. In addition, thepayor often signs the check. Once the check has been signed, it isusually deemed negotiable, meaning the check may be validly transferredto the payee upon delivery. By signing and transferring the check to thepayee, the payor authorizes funds to be withdrawn from the payor'saccount on behalf of the payee.

While a check may provide a payor with a convenient and secure form ofpayment, receiving a check may put certain burdens on the payee, such asthe time and effort required to deposit the check. For example,depositing a check typically involves going to a local bank branch andphysically presenting the check to a bank teller. To reduce such burdensfor the payee, systems and methods have been developed to enable theremote deposit of checks.

For example, the payee may capture a digital image of a check using amobile device. The financial institution may then receive from the payeethe digital image of the check. The financial institution may then usethe digital image to credit funds to the payee. However, such atechnique requires the efficient and accurate detection and extractionof the information pertaining to a check in the digital image. Capturinga digital image at a mobile device that allows for detection andextraction of the information from the digital image is difficult.

SUMMARY

An alignment guide may be provided in the field of view of a cameraassociated with a mobile device used to capture an image of a check.When the image of the check is within the alignment guide in the fieldof view, an image may be taken by the camera and provided from themobile device to a financial institution. The check may be deposited ina user's bank account based on the image. Any technique for sending theimage to the financial institution may be used.

In an implementation, the alignment guide may be adjustable at themobile device. The adjustment may be made by the user, the financialinstitution, the camera, and/or the mobile device. In an implementation,an image may be captured when the image of the check is detected to bewithin the alignment guide. The image capture may be performedautomatically by the camera or the mobile device as soon as the image ofthe check is determined to be within the alignment guide.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating theembodiments, there are shown in the drawings example constructions ofthe embodiments; however, the embodiments are not limited to thespecific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an implementation of a system in whichexample embodiments and aspects may be implemented;

FIG. 2 shows a high-level block diagram of an implementation of a systemthat may be used for the deposit of a check;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example image comprising a check image, abackground image, and an alignment guide;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of another example image comprising a check image, abackground image, and an alignment guide;

FIG. 5 shows a data flow diagram of a system for the deposit of a check,in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a client apparatus for the deposit of acheck, in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a server apparatus for the deposit of acheck, in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an operational flow of an implementation of a method that maybe used for deposit of a check using alignment of the check;

FIG. 9 is an operational flow of another implementation of a method thatmay be used for deposit of a check using alignment of the check; and

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example computing environment in whichexample embodiments and aspects may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of example embodiments, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and inwhich is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in whichthe example methods, apparatuses, and systems may be practiced. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be used and structural changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this description.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an implementation of a system 100 in whichexample embodiments and aspects may be implemented. System 100 mayinclude an account owner, referred to herein as a user 102, andfinancial institutions 130, 140, and 150, which may be any type ofentity capable of processing a transaction involving a negotiableinstrument. For example, financial institutions 130, 140, and 150 may bea retail bank, an investment bank, an investment company, a regionalbranch of the Federal Reserve, a clearinghouse bank and/or acorrespondent bank.

A negotiable instrument typically includes a type of contract thatobligates one party to pay a specified sum of money to another party.Negotiable instrument as used herein is an unconditioned writing thatpromises or orders payment of a fixed amount of money. One example of anegotiable instrument is a check. The check may be taken by thereceiving party and deposited into an account at a financial institutionof the receiving party. The receiving party may endorse the check andthen present it for deposit at a bank branch, via an automated tellermachine (ATM), or by using remote deposit. Other examples of negotiableinstruments include money orders, cashier's checks, drafts, bills ofexchange, promissory notes, and the like. A money order is a trustedfinancial instrument that is a payment order for a pre-specified amountof money. A cashier's check (also known as a bank check, official check,teller's check, bank draft or treasurer's check) is a check guaranteedby a bank and may be purchased from a bank.

The user 102 may be an individual or entity who owns account 160 thatmay be held at financial institution 130. Account 160 may be any type ofdeposit account for depositing funds, such as a savings account, achecking account, a brokerage account, and the like. The user 102 maydeposit a check 108 or other negotiable instrument in the account 160either electronically or physically. The financial institution 130 mayprocess and/or clear the check 108 or other negotiable instrument. Theuser 102 may communicate with financial institution 130 by way ofcommunications network 120 such as an intranet, the Internet, a localarea network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless fidelity(WiFi) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellularnetwork, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, and the like.The user 102 may communicate with financial institution 130 by phone,email, instant messaging, text messaging, web chat, facsimile, mail, andthe like. Financial institutions 130, 140, and 150 also may communicatewith each other by way of communications network 120.

In an implementation, the user 102 may receive payment from anotherindividual such as a payor in the form of a check 108 or othernegotiable instrument that is drawn from account 170 at financialinstitution 150. The user 102 may endorse the check 108 (e.g., sign theback of the check 108) and indicate an account number on the check 108for depositing the funds. It is noted that although examples describedherein may refer to a check, the techniques and systems described hereinare contemplated for, and may be used for, deposit of any negotiableinstrument. Similarly, the techniques and systems described herein arecontemplated for and may be used with any form or document whose imagemay be captured with a camera or other imaging device of a mobile devicefor subsequent storage and/or processing.

As described further herein, a digital image of a check or othernegotiable instrument may be provided from a user to a financialinstitution, and the digital image may be processed and funds associatedwith the check or negotiable instrument in the digital image may bedeposited in a user's bank account. The user 102 may deposit the check108 into account 160 by making a digital image of the check 108 andsending the image file containing the digital image to financialinstitution 130. For example, after endorsing the check 108, the user102 may use a mobile device 106 that comprises a camera to convert thecheck 108 into a digital image by taking a picture of the front and/orback of the check 108. The mobile device 106 may be a mobile phone (alsoknown as a wireless phone or a cellular phone), a personal digitalassistant (PDA), or any handheld computing device, for example. Aspectsof an example mobile device are described with respect to FIG. 10.

To increase the likelihood of capturing a digital image of the check 108that may be readable and processed such that the check 108 can becleared, an alignment guide may be provided in the field of view of thecamera of the mobile device 106. The field of view is that part of theworld that is visible through the camera at a particular position andorientation in space; objects outside the field of view when the imageis captured are not recorded in the image. The user may move the cameraor the check 108 until the check 108 is viewed within the alignmentguide in the field of view of the camera. The digital image of the check108 may then be captured. The alignment guide may provide a pre-imagecapture quality check that helps reduce the number of non-comformingimages of checks during presentment of the images to a financialinstitution for processing and clearing.

In an implementation, the image capture may be performed automaticallyby the camera or the mobile device 106 as soon as the image of the checkis determined to be within the alignment guide. Alternatively, the user102 may manually instruct the camera to perform the image capture (e.g.,by pressing a button the camera or the mobile device 106). Examples ofalignment guides are described further with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4,for example.

In an implementation, the user 102 may send the digital image(s) tofinancial institution 130 using the mobile device 106. Any technique forsending a digital image to financial institution 130 may be used, suchas providing a digital image to a website associated with financialinstitution 130 from storage, emailing a digital image to financialinstitution 130, or sending a digital image in a text message or instantmessage, for example.

Financial institution 130 may receive a digital image representing thecheck 108 and may use any known image processing software or otherapplication(s) to obtain the relevant data of the check 108 from thedigital image. Financial institution 130 may determine whether thefinancial information associated therewith may be valid. For example,financial institution 130 may include any combination of systems andsubsystems such as electronic devices including, but not limited to,computers, servers, databases, or the like. The electronic devices mayinclude any combination of hardware components such as processors,databases, storage drives, registers, cache, random access memory (RAM)chips, data buses, or the like and/or software components such asoperating systems, database management applications, or the like.According to an embodiment, the electronic devices may include anetwork-based server that may process the financial information and mayreceive the digital image from the user 102.

The electronic devices may receive the digital image and may perform aninitial analysis on the quality of the digital image, the readability ofthe data contained therein, or the like. For example, the electronicdevices may determine whether the account number, amount payable, andthe like may be readable such that it may be parsed or otherwiseobtained and processed by the financial institution to credit an account160 associated with the user 102 and debit an account associated withthe payor. In an implementation, a representative 135 of financialinstitution 130 may provide assistance to the user 102 and may provideassistance in determining whether the financial information may bereadable and/or of a good enough quality to be processed, as describedfurther herein.

Upon receipt and approval of the digital image, financial institution130 may credit the funds to account 160. Financial institution 130 mayclear the check 108 by presenting a digital image of the check 108captured from the digital image to an intermediary bank, such as aregional branch of the Federal Reserve, a correspondent bank, and/or aclearinghouse bank. For example, the check 108 may be cleared bypresenting the digital image to financial institution 140, which may bea regional branch of the Federal Reserve, along with a request forpayment. Financial institutions 130 and 150 may have accounts at theregional branch of the Federal Reserve. Financial institution 130 maycreate a substitute check using the image provided by the user 102 andpresent the substitute check to financial institution 140 for furtherprocessing. Upon receiving the substitute check, financial institution140 may identify financial institution 150 as the paying bank (e.g., thebank from which the check 108 is drawn). This may be accomplished usinga nine digit routing number located on the bottom left hand corner ofthe check. A unique routing number is typically assigned to everyfinancial institution in the United States. Financial institution 140may present the substitute check to financial institution 150 andrequest that the check be paid. If financial institution 150 verifiesthe check (i.e., agrees to honor the check), financial institution 140may then settle the check by debiting funds from financial institution150 and crediting funds to financial institution 130. Financialinstitution 150 may then debit funds from account 170.

It will be appreciated that the preceding examples are for purposes ofillustration and explanation only, and that an embodiment is not limitedto such examples. For example, financial institution 150 may be acorrespondent bank (i.e., engaged in a partnership with financialinstitution 130). Thus, financial institution 130 may bypass theregional branch of the Federal Reserve and clear the check directly withfinancial institution 150. In addition, account 160 and account 170 mayboth be held at financial institution 130, in which case the check 108may be cleared internally.

FIG. 2 shows a high-level block diagram of an implementation of a system200 that may be used for the deposit of a check, such as the check 108.As described further herein, the user 102 may deposit the funds of thecheck 108 using the camera functionality in the mobile device 106. Inthe example of one person giving a check to another person, this wouldenable the receiving party to deposit the funds at that time, withoutphysically visiting an ATM or a bank branch.

In an implementation, the mobile device 106 may comprise a camera 207,such as a digital camera. Such a mobile device may be called a cameraphone. The mobile device 106, through the camera 207, has the ability totake or capture a picture or digital image of the check 108 or othernegotiable instrument. The camera 207 may take an image of the front ofthe check 108. Alternatively, the camera 207 may take an image of boththe front and the back of the check 108. The back of the check mayprovide endorsement verification, such as the signature of the person orparty the check is made out to. In an implementation, an alignment guidemay be provided within the field of view of the camera 207, e.g., usinga software application running on the mobile device 106. The alignmentguide may be provided during image capture to assist the user 102 inpositioning the check 108 so that the image of the check 108 may becaptured in such a manner that it may be more easily processed andcleared during subsequent operations, such as those involving one ormore financial institutions.

A depository 204 may include a bank in which the user 102 has a depositaccount; however, the present disclosure is not limited to just banks.Alternatively, a third party may act as the depository 204 providingfunctionality to a plurality of users without regard to the bank atwhich they have deposit accounts, or whether their individual bankallows for the methods and systems described herein. The depository 204,in an implementation, after receiving the image(s) of the check 108 fromthe user 102, may use a clearinghouse 210 to perform the check clearingoperations. As described with respect to the system 100 of FIG. 1, checkclearing operations are used by banks to do the final settlement of thecheck 108, such as removing funds from the account of the payor andtransferring those funds to the user's bank. The user's bank may chooseto make the funds available to the user 102 immediately and take on therisk that the check 108 does not clear. However, for various reasons,the bank may only make those funds available to the user 102 after thecheck 108 finally clears.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example image 230 comprising a check image247, a background image 250, and an alignment guide 235. The alignmentguide 235 may be overlaid on the camera feed of the mobile device 106,in an implementation. The alignment guide 235 is provided in FIG. 3 as athree sided bounding box (e.g., a rectangle in which one of the linesegments or sides is removed), but any shape(s) or indicator(s) may beused, such as vertical bars, parallel lines, a circle, a square, abounding rectangle, or a self-crop tool, for example. Any aspect ratiomay be used for the alignment guide, and in an implementation, theaspect ratio may correspond to that of a personal check or a businesscheck.

The image 230 may be provided in the field of view of the camera 207during image capture of the check 108. The user 102 may move the camera207 or the check 108 so that the check image 247 appears within or linesup with the alignment guide 235. Some of the background image 250 (e.g.,the background on which the check 108 is placed during capture of theimage of the check 108) may also be within the alignment guide 235.

When the check image 247 is within the alignment guide 235 (e.g., theedges 245 of the check image 247 are aligned with respect to thealignment guide 235, such as parallel to the associated portion of thealignment guide 235), the check image 247 and the background image 250(if any) that are within the alignment guide may be captured eitherautomatically (e.g., by the camera or the mobile device under directionof an application running on the camera 207 or the mobile device 106 orthe financial institution) or manually (e.g., by the user 102 pressing abutton or making a selection on the camera 207 or the mobile device106).

The digital image thus captured may be provided from the mobile device106 to a financial institution. The check 108 may be deposited in auser's bank account based on the digital image. Any technique forsending the digital image to the financial institution may be used.

In an implementation, an alignment guide may be provided that isadjustable at the mobile device 106. The adjustment may be made by theuser 102, the mobile device 106 and/or the camera 207 (e.g., anapplication running on the mobile device 106 and/or the camera 207),and/or the financial institution 130. FIG. 4 is a diagram of an exampleimage 260 comprising a check image 247, a background image 250, and analignment guide 263. The alignment guide 263 is shown as a boundingrectangle, though any shape(s) or indicator(s) may be used. With abounding rectangle, for example, used as the alignment guide 263,aligning the check means enclosing the check within the alignment guide.

The alignment guide 263 may be adjustable by the user 102 via one ormore adjustment buttons, selectors, arrows, or other indicators (shownin FIG. 4 as an adjustment button 280 of the camera 207). For examplethe user 102 may use the adjustment button 280 to change the shape,aspect ratio, and/or the location of the alignment guide 263 in thefield of view of the camera 207. In an implementation, the user mayselect the alignment guide 263 using any known selection techniques(e.g., moving a cursor to the alignment guide 263, highlighting orclicking on the alignment guide 263, selecting the alignment guide 263from a pull down menu of the camera 207 or the mobile device 106) andmay use the adjustment button 280 to modify the alignment guide 263. Inan implementation, the user 102 may select which alignment guide from aplurality of alignment guides is to be displayed on the field of view.The camera 207 or the mobile device may store a plurality of alignmentguides, and the user 102 may use any known selection technique(s) toselect an alignment guide that is be displayed on the field of view ofthe camera 207.

The adjustment button 280 may be provided as one or more physicalbuttons associated with the camera 207 or the mobile device 106 or maybe provided as a selectable button, for example, on a touch screenassociated with the camera 207 or the mobile device 106. In animplementation, the display for the image 260 may comprise a touchscreen and the adjustment button 280 may be provided on the touchscreen, e.g., overlaying some of the check image 247 and/or thebackground image 250.

In an implementation, instead of using the adjustment button 280, theuser 102 may use a finger, a stylus, or any other input device to changethe shape, aspect ratio, and/or the location of the alignment guide 263in the field of view of the camera 207. Additionally or alternatively,the user 102 may perform cropping on the image 260 prior to the imagebeing captured by the camera 207. Using any type of selection toolprovided with the camera 207 or the mobile device 106, the user 102 mayindicate the location of the edges 245 of the check image 247, forexample. Such an indication may be used in the subsequent capture and/orprocessing of the image of the check 108.

FIG. 5 shows a data flow diagram of a system for the deposit of a check,in accordance with an example embodiment. In the data flow diagram ofFIG. 5, a client 320 is one example of the mobile device 106 of the user102 described with respect to the systems 100 and 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2,respectively. In an implementation, a server 322 may be a softwarecomponent operable by the depository 204 of FIG. 2.

The client 320 may log in to a remote deposit system executed on theserver 322. The login 325 may serve to authenticate the user 102 as anauthorized consumer of the depository 204.

The server 322, in one example, may send instructions 330 to the client320 that execute an application on the client 320. This may includeinstructions that cause a software object, which may have beenpreviously downloaded and installed (e.g., pre-installed) on the client320, to be executed on the client 320. The software object may generateand display an alignment guide, such as the alignment guide 235 or 263,in the field of view of a digital camera, such as the camera 207associated with the mobile device 106.

In another example, the instructions 330 may include a whollyself-contained application that when delivered to the client 320 willexecute and perform one or more operations described herein, such asthose directed to generating and displaying an alignment guide in thefield of view of the camera 207. In either example, the software objectmay be configured to make one or more software calls 310 to the camera207. This may be through specific software instructions to the camera.In other words, the camera's functionality may not be abstracted throughany software library. In such an example, software code may be writtenand delivered to every different camera-equipped mobile phone.

In an alternate example, the software object may operate through asoftware abstraction layer, such as an application programming interface(API). The software object developer may only insert code into thesoftware object to call one or more APIs exposed by the softwareoperating the mobile device. One example of such software is WindowsMobile by Microsoft Corporation. In the context of a Windows Mobiledevice, the Windows Mobile operating system (OS) has one or more APIsexposed to application developers that will translate instructions fromapplications into instructions operable by the camera 207 on the mobiledevice 106. A mobile operating system, also known as a mobile platformor a handheld operating system, is the operating system that controls amobile device. Other mobiles OSs include Symbian OS, iPhone OS, Palm OS,BlackBerry OS, and Android.

The software object may cause the camera 207 to generate and display analignment guide in the field of view and/or take a picture or captureone or more images of the check 108 being deposited. These images may becaptured sequentially, e.g., pursuant to the user 102 flipping the check108 over after an image of the front of the check 108 has been capturedwithin the alignment guide. However, each side of the check 108 may becaptured by the camera 207 using similar API calls. The images may bestored in an image file 315.

Once the images of one or both sides of the check 108 are capturedwithin the alignment guide by the camera 207, the image file 315 may beoperated on by the software object of the client 320. These operationsmay include any of the following: deskewing, dewarping, magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR), cropping (either automatically, or havingthe user 102 manually identify the corners and/or edges of the check 108for example), reducing the resolution of the image, number detection,character recognition, and the like.

With respect to number and character recognition, commercial checkscanners have used characteristics of the MICR encoding to detectinformation about the check, such as the bank's routing number and theaccount number. However, the characteristics that these scanners haveused are the magnetic characteristic of the ink itself and thesescanners have used methods similar to those of magnetic audio tapereaders. In an implementation, a software object of the client 320 mayoptically recognize the characters on the MICR line, as a consumermobile device such as the mobile device 106 will lack the magneticreading ability of a commercial check scanner.

The image may be also down converted into a grayscale or black and whiteimage, such as either in Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)compliant format or in tabbed image file format (TIFF) for example. Inan alternate example, the image may be formatted as a Scalable VectorGraphics (SVG) image. One of the benefits of an SVG file is a large sizeadvantage over JPEG. In the former example, the image at some pointbefore entry into the clearing system may be converted to TIFF format.This may be performed at the mobile device 106, wherein the camera 207captures the image in TIFF format. However, the camera 207 of the mobiledevice 106 may capture the image in JPEG format, which may then beconverted into TIFF either at the mobile device 106 or at the server322. In the latter example, this may use the transmission of the TIFFimage across a communications network which may be more advantageous asTIFF images are typically smaller in file size for the same size ofpicture as a JPEG formatted image.

The software object on the client 320 may operate by performing one ormore of the operations described herein and then transmitting an imagefile 335 (e.g., based on image file 315 that has been processed) to theserver 322 after the user 102 confirms that they do wish to deposit thecheck 108. Alternately, the software object may capture the image of thecheck 108 and transmit that image to the server 322 that in turn mayperform those operations, verifies that the image quality is withinacceptable thresholds, and communicates that verification back to theclient 320, which can then instruct the user 102 to take a picture ofthe other side of the check 108. In this example, the image transmittedto the server 322 may be in any format, such as JPEG or TIFF, insofar asthe server software has the ability to convert that image into a Check21 compliant format. Alternately, the bank may output an X9.37 file tothe clearing system. The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (orCheck 21 Act) is a United States federal law that allows the recipientof a paper check to create a digital version, thereby eliminating theneed for further handling of the physical document. The Check 21standard for electronic exchange is defined in the standard DSTUX9.37-2003 (“X9.37”). It is a binary interchange format.

The server 322 may confirm (e.g., using a process confirmation 340) withthe user 102 the transmission, reception, and processing of each side ofthe check 108 separately, or may confirm both sides at the same time. Onthe server side, more operations may be performed, such as signatureverification. Where to perform these operations may be determined by theprocessing power of the mobile device 106 itself, which is typicallylimited in computational power. However, the present discussion is notlimited in any way by discussion of where certain operations aredescribed as operating. The operations of detecting and verifyinginformation may be performed by the client 320 before the information istransmitted along with the image in the image file 335 to the server322. Alternately, the software object(s) operating on the mobile device106 may perform no operation other then capturing images of the frontand back of the check 108 within the alignment guide, receivingconfirmation that the user 102 wishes to proceed, and transmitting thoseimages to the server 322, wherein the server 322 performs thoseoperations.

In an implementation, after the image file 335 has been received by theserver 322, the server 322 may send a process confirmation 340 to theclient 320. The process confirmation 340 may request instructions fromthe client 320 to continue proceeding with the deposit now that theserver 322 has received the image file 335. In response, the client 320may send a deposit confirmation 345 to the server 322, instructing theserver 322 to process the deposit of the check based on the image file335 that had been received by the server 322.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a client apparatus 450 for the depositof a check, in accordance with an example embodiment. The clientapparatus 450 may include one or more software objects operating on amobile device 106, such as described above. The client apparatus 450 mayinclude a communications module 452, a check processing module 454, andan image capture module 456. The client apparatus 450 may receive, inone example, one or more check images 458 captured within an alignmentguide as an input and output one or more processed images 460.

In an implementation, the check images 458 may be received following asoftware call from the check processing module 454 to the image capturemodule 456. In such an implementation, the image capture module 456 mayinclude the camera 207 contained within the mobile device 106.Alternately, the camera 207 may be detachably coupled to the mobiledevice 106 such as through a secure digital (SD) slot or over anysuitable communications bus, such as USB (universal serial bus).

In an implementation, the image capture module 456 may retrievepreviously captured and stored image files (e.g., in local, remote, orremovable storage associated with the client apparatus 450) and send theimage files to a financial institution (e.g., financial institution 130,the server 322, the server apparatus 570 of FIG. 7, etc.) forprocessing.

In an implementation, the client apparatus 450 may comprise a browsersuch as a web browser, for accessing a website on the Internet or othernetwork associated with a financial institution. The user may access thewebsite and select a “capture image” link or similar icon, button orlink, for example, displayed on the browser. Such a selection may callthe image capture module 456 on the client apparatus 450.

The communications module 452 may be configured, in one example, toreceive and send data signals over a suitable communications network.This may include, without limitation, GSM/GPR3, HSDPA, CDMA, TDMA,802.11, 802.16 and the like. While the bandwidth available to the mobiledevice 106 may be an implementation concern such discussion is outsidethe scope of the present discussion and any suitable wirelesscommunications network is considered to be within the scope of thepresent discussion. With respect to the present discussion, thecommunications module 452 may receive one or more processed check images460 from the check processing module 454 and may transmit them over thesuitable communications network to the depository 204, as describedherein.

The check processing module 454 may be configured, in one example, tocause the image capture module 456 to capture a digital image of atleast one side of a check within an alignment guide provided in a fieldof view of the camera 207. The alignment guide is intended to ensurethat the image of the check is suitable for one or more processingtasks. For instance, if the check is rotated 45 degrees clockwise whencaptured, the check processing module 454 or a software object operatedon the server 322 described above may be unable to optically detectinformation on the check.

The check processing module 454 may then perform one or more cleaningoperations on the image of the check. For example, the check processingmodule 454 may deskew the image. Another aspect of an image that may becleaned is a warping of the image. Warping, as used herein, is meant todenote that the check is tilted forward or back with respect to a planethat is perpendicular to a line drawn from the camera lens to the centerof the check. Warping, or tilting, of the image may also lead toincorrect optical detection of the check. In an implementation, thecheck processing module 454 may dewarp the check image such that, in athree-dimensional space, the check would appear to be perpendicular toan imaginary line drawn from the center of the camera lens to the centerof the check itself.

The check processing module 454, in further examples, may perform one ormore other cleaning or processing operations. This may includedown-converting the image received from the image capture module to asuitable size, such as 200 dots per inch (DPI) resolution or in aresolution range such as 200 DPI to 400 DPI, 300 DPI to 500 DPI, etc.,and/or converting the image to grayscale or black and white. Suchoperation(s) may reduce the file size of the check image.

Alternatively, the check processing module 454 may send instructions tothe image capture module 456 to cause the image capture module 456 tocapture an image of the check at a suitable resolution within analignment guide. The check processing module 454 may additionallyperform any of the following operations, in further examples: convertfrom JPEG to TIFF, detect check information, perform signature detectionon the image of the check, and the like. The check processing module 454may, alternatively, send the captured check image to the serverdescribed herein for such processing, and receive confirmation that theoperations were completed before further operations can proceed.

One of the issues with check processing is to detect the presence of acheck against whatever background is present. While a user may beinstructed to place the check on a dark or black background, suchinstructions may not provide a positive user experience. Alternativelyor additionally, edge detection may be used to detect the check. Edgedetection techniques are well known and any suitable method may be usedherein. Alternative or additional methodology for check detection mayuse tile-cropping to detect and process the check.

The size of the file sent between the mobile device and the server maybe small. This runs counter with respect to automatic check detectionagainst a background. If captured in color, the contrast between checkand background becomes easier. However, the processed image sent overthe communications network may need to be smaller, and if the detectionoperation is performed by the server, it may be advantageous to convertthe captured image to grayscale, or even black and white, beforetransmission to the server. Grayscale images are compliant with theCheck 21 Act.

While “flat” is a fairly well known term to users, each user'sappreciation of flat with respect to the camera lens of the camera 207associated with the mobile device 106 may result in a problem withneeding to align the check image programmatically or risk rejecting alarge number of check images. As the image captured is a set of pixels,a tilted image will result in a jagged polygon rather than a perfectrectangle. Using convex hull algorithms, the check processing modulesmay create a smooth polygon around the boundary and remove the concavityof the check image. Alternatively, a rotating calipers algorithm may beused to determine the tightest fitting rectangle around the checkboundary, which can then be used to determine the angle of it, with thatangle being used to align the check properly.

The operator of the camera 207 may introduce distortions in the imagedue to a perspective problem, specifically an angling of the cameravertically over the check, and the top of the check is smaller than thebottom, or the reverse. A warping transformation algorithm (e.g., whichmay be exposed as a software call within Java advanced imaging) may beused to remove this distortion.

If user involvement is tolerated, the user may be queried to supply oridentify three of the four corners of the check. In such an operation,the fourth corner may be derived, showing the perimeter of the check.This may allow a software object described herein to use lesscomputational resources in processing the image of the check.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a server apparatus 570 for the depositof a check, in accordance with an example embodiment. Aspects of anexample server apparatus are described with respect to FIG. 10. Theserver apparatus 570 may include one or more software objects operatingon a server operated by the depository 204 described above with respectto FIG. 2. The server apparatus 570 may include a communications module572, a check processing module 574, and a check clearance module 576.The server apparatus 570 may receive one or more processed images 460from a mobile device 106 or a client apparatus 450 as an input and mayoutput a file such as a Check 21 compliant file 578. The Check 21compliant file 578 may be a file or entry in a record set that iscompliant with the clearinghouse rules set forth in the Check 21 Act andmay include outputting an X9.37 file, in one example.

The communications module 572 may be configured to receive a wirelesscommunication from the mobile device 106 over any suitablecommunications network, such as those described above. Thecommunications module 572 may additionally receive a communication overa different communications network than the mobile device 106communicated on, such as receiving the communication over a TCP/IP(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) connection from theuser's communication provider.

The check processing module 574 may be configured, in one example, toperform one or more check processing operations on the processedimage(s) 460 that are received. In an implementation, these operationsmay include any of the operations described herein with respect to thecheck processing module 454 of FIG. 6. The operation of signatureverification may be performed by the check processing module 574 of theserver apparatus 570 as the server apparatus 570 may interface withother systems of the depository 204 that may maintain previouslyverified signature samples of the user 102. Performing signatureverification at the client apparatus 450 may be computationallyunfeasible; additionally, there may be a security risk if the signaturesample is stored on the user's own device.

A cropped grayscale image may be sent to the server apparatus 570. Theserver apparatus 570 may perform further processing to remove distortionsuch as warping. The server apparatus 570 may extract information via aTIFF conversion and determine the DPI and re-scale to the proper DPI(e.g., convert to TIFF and detect the DPI that was used in the grayscaleimage). In an implementation, DPI detection may run on the clientapparatus 450.

The check clearance module 576 may be configured, in one example, toreceive a file from the check processing module 574 and may communicatewith a check clearinghouse such that a Check 21 compliant file may bedelivered to the check clearinghouse and funds may be received by thedepository 204. The availability of the funds to the user 102 may bedelayed by this operation such that the user 102 only has access tothose funds when the depository 204 receives confirmation that the checkhas cleared.

FIG. 8 is an operational flow of an implementation of a method 800 thatmay be used for deposit of a check using alignment of the check. At 810,a request for access may be received from a user (e.g., the user 102).The user may request access to a deposit system operated by a depository(e.g., the depository 204) by way of a mobile device (e.g., the mobiledevice 106) such as, such a cellular phone, a PDA, a handheld computingdevice, etc. operated by the user. The access may be through some sortof user login, in some examples. The deposit system may be configured toreceive a deposit of a negotiable instrument, such as a check, moneyorder, cashier's check, etc. from the user and clear the negotiableinstrument in a suitable clearinghouse system.

At 820, the system may initialize a software object on the mobiledevice. This may include sending instructions to the mobile deviceintended to execute a previously installed (i.e., pre-installed)software object. Alternatively, the system may send a software object tothe mobile device that may execute the software object, carry outoperations described herein by use of the software object, and terminatethe software object. In an implementation, the system may instruct acamera associated with the mobile device to capture an image of thenegotiable instrument. The system may also instruct the camera or themobile device to generate and display an alignment guide in the field ofview of the camera.

At 830, an alignment guide, such as the alignment guide 235 or 263, maybe provided in the field of view of the camera. The alignment guide maybe generated and displayed pursuant to instructions received at thecamera or mobile device from the deposit system operated by adepository, the server 322, or the server apparatus 570, for example.

At 840, an image of the check may be captured when the check isdisplayed within the alignment guide in the field of view. This may beaccomplished through the software object accessing a camera associatedwith the mobile device (e.g., either comprised within the mobile deviceor separate from the mobile device). This may be done through an APIexposed by the OS of the mobile device, or may be through software codecustomized for a specific phone and specific camera. With respect to theformer, a developer of the software object may write code to the cameraAPI(s), which may be specific to the OS and without regard to the cameraon the device. In an implementation, the user may be directed to scaleor move the captured image to ensure it is properly framed within thealignment guide.

At 850, the image may be cleaned. Cleaning may include converting theimage from JPEG format to TIFF format. Other cleaning operations aredescribed herein. Cleaning operations may also be augmented by detectingoperations. The operations at 850 may be carried out on the mobiledevice, in an implementation, though may include sending the image tothe server apparatus, which may perform one or more cleaning operationsand when complete may send a notification back to the mobile device ofthe completion. In either instance, the image may be deskewed, dewarped,and cropped for example, at 850. Additionally, detection operations maybe performed, e.g. after the cleaning operations are performed. Thedetection operations may include any of the following, for example:optically read the MICR line, courtesy amount recognition (CAR), legalamount recognition (LAR), signature block, and payee. As discussedabove, the detecting operations may be performed by the client, theserver, or some combination thereof.

In an implementation, an application on the mobile device may crop theimage around where the alignment guide was during the image capture.Edge detection may be performed on the cropped image. In animplementation, the user may manually perform cropping on the imageafter the application crops the image around the alignment guide'sposition.

At 860, the cleaned image may be transmitted to the depository. This mayinclude transmitting the cleaned image alone to the depository, but mayalso include transmitting the detected information on the check to thedepository. In an implementation, coordinate data of the alignment guidemay be provided to the depository. Such coordinate data may correspondto the coordinates of the alignment guide in the field of view of thecamera or in the image generated by the camera. Alternatively oradditionally, the user can identify on the display of the captured imagewhere each of the corners of the check is and the coordinate data (e.g.,pertaining to the identified corners) and/or corner identificationinformation may be provided to the depository along with the image ofthe check. The depository may use the coordinate data and/or corneridentification information during subsequent processing such ascropping, edge detection, etc.

At 870, the depository may receive the cleaned image of the check (alongwith financial information pertaining to the account for depositingfunds, for example) and may process the image. Processing of the digitalimage file may include retrieving financial information regarding thecheck. The financial information may comprise the MICR number, therouting number, an amount, etc. Any known image processing technologymay be used, such as edge detection, filtering to remove imagery exceptthe check image or check data in the received digital image file, imagesharpening, and technologies to distinguish between the front and theback sides of the check. The depository may identify and/or remove atleast a portion of data that is extraneous to the check, such asbackground data.

After retrieving the financial information from the check in anelectronic data representation form, the depository may determinewhether the financial information such as the amount payable to theuser, the account associated with the user to deposit funds, an accountassociated with a payor to debit funds, and an institution associatedwith the payor, etc., may be valid. For example, the depository mayinclude electronic devices such as computers, servers, databases, or thelike that may be in communication with each other. The electronicdevices may receive an electronic data representation and may perform ananalysis on the quality of the data representation, the readability ofthe data representation, or the like. For example, the electronicdevices may determine whether the account number, amount payable, or thelike may be readable such that they may be parsed and processed by thedepository to credit an account associated with the user.

If the financial information is determined to be valid, the electronicdata representation may be processed by the depository, therebydepositing the money in the user's account. If the financial informationis determined to be invalid, then the user may be advised. For example,the depository may transmit an email, a web message, an instant message,or the like to the user indicating that the financial informationassociated with the electronic data representation may be invalid. Theuser may determine how to proceed by selecting an option on the webmessage, replying to the email, or the like.

Thus, in an implementation, instructions on how the user would like toproceed may be requested from the user, such as whether the user wouldlike to try the deposit again (e.g., make another image of the checkwithin the alignment guide and send it to the depository) or whether theuser would like assistance from a representative, for example. The usermay indicate how they would like to proceed.

If the user would like assistance, the financial information may betransferred to a representative for further review. The representativemay review the financial information associated with the electronic datarepresentation to determine whether to allow the electronic datarepresentation to be processed by the depository. If so, the electronicdata representation of the financial information may be processed by thedepository, thereby depositing the check in the user's account. Thedepository may send a notice to the user via email, facsimile, instantmessage, or mail, for example, that the check has been deposited intothe selected account.

FIG. 9 is an operational flow of another implementation of a method 900that may be used for deposit of a check using alignment of the check. Auser (e.g., the user 102) may receive and endorse a check (e.g., thecheck 108) at 910 and open a communication pathway with an institution(e.g., the financial institution 130), at 920. In an implementation, theuser may open a communication pathway with the institution by logginginto a website of the institution, for example. There may be severalways in which a communication pathway may be established, including, butnot limited to, an Internet connection via a website of the institution.The user may access the website and log into the website usingcredentials, such as, but not limited to, a username and a password.

At 930, the user may send a request to deposit the check and may selectan account in which to deposit the check. In an implementation, the usermay select a “deposit check” option provided on the website, and mayenter details such as check amount, date, the account the check fundsshould be deposited in, comments, etc.

At 940, an alignment guide may be provided in the field of view of thecamera that is used to create a digital image of the check. Thealignment guide, such as the alignment guide 263, may be adjustable,e.g., using an adjustment button, such as the adjustment button 280, orother selection and adjustment techniques.

The user may position the camera and the check such that the check is inthe field of view of the camera, and at 950, may manually adjust thealignment guide and/or the check so that the alignment guide is adjustedwith respect to the image of the check that is displayed in the field ofview. Alternatively, the camera, the mobile device, or the institutionmay adjust the alignment guide without user intervention so that theimage of the check that is displayed in the field of view is positionedwithin the alignment guide. In an implementation, the camera, the mobiledevice, or the institution may provide feedback to the user regardingthe alignment guide and the positioning of the check with respect to thealignment guide.

At 960, when the image of the check is within the alignment guide, adigital image of the check may be created using the camera. In animplementation, the user may instruct the camera (e.g., by pressing abutton on the camera or the mobile device) to create the digital image.In another implementation, the camera may automatically create thedigital image as soon as the image of the check is within the alignmentguide. In this manner, the user may point the camera at the check suchthat the image of the check appears in the field of view, and after thealignment guide has been adjusted (either by the user or automaticallyby the camera, the mobile device, or the financial institution via acommunications network) and/or the check has been repositioned withinthe alignment guide by the user, a digital image of the check may becreated without further user intervention. Depending on theimplementation, one or more digital images of the check (e.g.,corresponding to the front and back of the check) may be created usingsuch techniques.

At 970, the digital image(s) may be uploaded to the institution usingany known image upload process. In an implementation, the upload may beaugmented by secondary data which may be information relating to thedeposit of the check, such as an account number and a deposit amount,for example. At 980, when the institution has received the digitalimages (e.g., of the front and back sides of the check), the institutionmay process the digital images to obtain an image of the check and todeposit the funds of the check in the user's account, as describedherein.

It is contemplated that processing such as grayscale conversion, imagecropping, image compression, dewarping, edge and/or corner detection,etc. may be implemented in the method 900. Such operations may beperformed on one or more digital images created by the camera and may beperformed on the image(s) by the mobile device and/or by theinstitution, as described further above.

Although the examples described herein may refer to uploading of imagesof checks to an institution, it is contemplated that any negotiableinstrument or image (e.g., vehicle accident pictures provided to aninsurance company) may be processed and/or transmitted using thetechniques described herein. Additionally, one or more of the techniquesdescribed herein may be performed by the institution instead of themobile device of the user.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example computing environment in whichexample embodiments and aspects may be implemented. The computing systemenvironment is only one example of a suitable computing environment andis not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use orfunctionality.

Numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing systemenvironments or configurations may be used. Examples of well knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use include, but are not limited to, personal computers(PCs), server computers, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, network PCs, minicomputers,mainframe computers, embedded systems, distributed computingenvironments that include any of the above systems or devices, and thelike.

Computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer may be used. Generally, program modules includeroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. thatperform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.Distributed computing environments may be used where tasks are performedby remote processing devices that are linked through a communicationsnetwork or other data transmission medium. In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules and other data may be located in both localand remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.

With reference to FIG. 10, a system 1000 includes a computer 1010connected to a network 1014. The computer 1010 includes a processor1020, a storage device 1022, an output device 1024, an input device1026, and a network interface device 1028, all connected via a bus 1030.The processor 1020 represents a central processing unit of any type ofarchitecture, such as a CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing), RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computing), VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word),or a hybrid architecture, although any appropriate processor may beused. The processor 1020 executes instructions and includes that portionof the computer 1010 that controls the operation of the entire computer.Although not depicted in FIG. 10, the processor 1020 typically includesa control unit that organizes data and program storage in memory andtransfers data and other information between the various parts of thecomputer 1010. The processor 1020 receives input data from the inputdevice 1026 and the network 1014 reads and stores code and data in thestorage device 1022 and presents data to the output device 1024.

Although the computer 1010 is shown to contain only a single processor1020 and a single bus 1030, the disclosed embodiment applies equally tocomputers that may have multiple processors and to computers that mayhave multiple busses with some or all performing different functions indifferent ways.

The storage device 1022 represents one or more mechanisms for storingdata. For example, the storage device 1022 may include read-only memory(ROM), RAM, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flashmemory devices, and/or other machine-readable media. In otherembodiments, any appropriate type of storage device may be used.Although only one storage device 1022 is shown, multiple storage devicesand multiple types of storage devices may be present. Further, althoughthe computer 1010 is drawn to contain the storage device 1022, it may bedistributed across other computers, for example on a server.

The storage device 1022 includes a controller (not shown in FIG. 10) anddata items 1034. The controller includes instructions capable of beingexecuted on the processor 1020 to carry out the functions as previouslydescribed herein with reference to FIGS. 1-9. In another embodiment,some or all of the functions are carried out via hardware in lieu of aprocessor-based system. In one embodiment, the controller is a webbrowser, but in other embodiments the controller may be a databasesystem, a file system, an electronic mail system, a media manager, animage manager, or may include any other functions capable of accessingdata items. The storage device 1022 may also contain additional softwareand data (not shown), which is not necessary to understand theinvention. Although the controller and the data items 1034 are shown tobe within the storage device 1022 in the computer 1010, some or all ofthem may be distributed across other systems, for example on a serverand accessed via the network 1014.

The output device 1024 is that part of the computer 1010 that displaysoutput to the user. The output device 1024 may be a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) well-known in the art of computer hardware. In otherembodiments, the output device 1024 may be replaced with a gas orplasma-based flat-panel display or a traditional cathode-ray tube (CRT)display. In still other embodiments, any appropriate display device maybe used. Although only one output device 1024 is shown, in otherembodiments any number of output devices of different types, or of thesame type, may be present. In an embodiment, the output device 1024displays a user interface.

The input device 1026 may be a keyboard, mouse or other pointing device,trackball, touchpad, touch screen, keypad, microphone, voice recognitiondevice, or any other appropriate mechanism for the user to input data tothe computer 1010 and manipulate the user interface previouslydiscussed. Although only one input device 1026 is shown, in anotherembodiment any number and type of input devices may be present.

The network interface device 1028 provides connectivity from thecomputer 1010 to the network 1014 through any suitable communicationsprotocol. The network interface device 1028 sends and receives dataitems from the network 1014.

The bus 1030 may represent one or more busses, e.g., USB, PCI, ISA(Industry Standard Architecture), X-Bus, EISA (Extended IndustryStandard Architecture), or any other appropriate bus and/or bridge (alsocalled a bus controller).

The computer 1010 may be implemented using any suitable hardware and/orsoftware, such as a personal computer or other electronic computingdevice. Portable computers, laptop or notebook computers, PDAs, pocketcomputers, appliances, telephones, and mainframe computers are examplesof other possible configurations of the computer 1010. For example,other peripheral devices such as audio adapters or chip programmingdevices, such as EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)programming devices may be used in addition to, or in place of, thehardware already depicted.

The network 1014 may be any suitable network and may support anyappropriate protocol suitable for communication to the computer 1010. Inan embodiment, the network 1014 may support wireless communications. Inanother embodiment, the network 1014 may support hard-wiredcommunications, such as a telephone line or cable. In anotherembodiment, the network 1014 may support the Ethernet IEEE (Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.3x specification. In anotherembodiment, the network 1014 may be the Internet and may support IP(Internet Protocol). In another embodiment, the network 1014 may be aLAN or a WAN. In another embodiment, the network 1014 may be a hotspotservice provider network. In another embodiment, the network 1014 may bean intranet. In another embodiment, the network 1014 may be a GPRS(General Packet Radio Service) network. In another embodiment, thenetwork 1014 may be any appropriate cellular data network or cell-basedradio network technology. In another embodiment, the network 1014 may bean IEEE 802.11 wireless network. In still another embodiment, thenetwork 1014 may be any suitable network or combination of networks.Although one network 1014 is shown, in other embodiments any number ofnetworks (of the same or different types) may be present.

It should be understood that the various techniques described herein maybe implemented in connection with hardware or software or, whereappropriate, with a combination of both. Thus, the methods and apparatusof the presently disclosed subject matter, or certain aspects orportions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions)embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, harddrives, or any other machine-readable storage medium wherein, when theprogram code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as acomputer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presentlydisclosed subject matter. In the case of program code execution onprogrammable computers, the computing device generally includes aprocessor, a storage medium readable by the processor (includingvolatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least oneinput device, and at least one output device. One or more programs mayimplement or use the processes described in connection with thepresently disclosed subject matter, e.g., through the use of an API,reusable controls, or the like. Such programs may be implemented in ahigh level procedural or object-oriented programming language tocommunicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) can beimplemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case,the language may be a compiled or interpreted language and it may becombined with hardware implementations.

Although exemplary embodiments may refer to using aspects of thepresently disclosed subject matter in the context of one or morestand-alone computer systems, the subject matter is not so limited, butrather may be implemented in connection with any computing environment,such as a network or distributed computing environment. Still further,aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter may be implemented inor across a plurality of processing chips or devices, and storage maysimilarly be effected across a plurality of devices. Such devices mightinclude personal computers, network servers, and handheld devices, forexample.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A system, comprising: a mobile device having aprocessor, wherein the processor is configured to: generate an alignmentguide adapted to align with an instrument, wherein the alignment guideis associated with an information capture component, wherein theinformation capture component is associated with the mobile device, andwherein the mobile device is adapted to capture information of theinstrument; monitor at least one feature of the instrument detected bythe information capture component; determine whether the at least onefeature of the instrument aligns with the alignment guide; automaticallycapture information of the instrument when the at least one featurealigns with the alignment guide; and transmit the captured informationfrom the mobile device to a server via a communication pathway betweenthe mobile device and the server.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theinstrument further comprises at least a portion of a negotiableinstrument, a credit instrument, a debit instrument, a financialdocument, a vehicle accident document, or an insurance document.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured toreceive instructions inputted to the mobile device for adjusting thealignment guide, and adjust the alignment guide according to thereceived instructions.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processoris further configured to crop at least one feature of the instrumentaround the alignment guide prior to transmitting the capturedinformation.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to transmit identification information pertaining to theinstrument.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the information iscaptured by storing the information in a memory.
 7. The system of claim1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive user-inputtedinstructions for adjusting an aspect ratio of the alignment guide, andadjust the aspect ratio of the alignment guide according to the receivedinstructions.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to receive user-inputted instructions for adjusting alocation of the alignment guide, and adjust the location of thealignment guide according to the received instructions.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the instrument includes indicia.
 10. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium comprising instructions executed by a processorof a mobile device to: monitor at least one feature of an instrumentthat is within a field of view of a camera associated with the mobiledevice, wherein the mobile device is adapted to capture information ofthe instrument; determine whether the at least one feature aligns withan alignment guide adapted to align with an instrument; automaticallycapture the information of the instrument when the at least one featureis determined to align with the alignment guide; and transmit thecaptured information from the mobile device to a server.
 11. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein theinstrument further comprises at least a portion of a negotiableinstrument, a credit instrument, a debit instrument, a financialdocument, a vehicle accident document, or an insurance document.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein theinstructions are further executed by the processor to clean theinstrument prior to transmitting the captured information to the server.13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein thecleaning of the information comprises at least cropping a portion of theinstrument around the alignment guide.
 14. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions arefurther executed by the processor to adjust the alignment guideaccording to received inputs corresponding to an adjustment button ofthe camera.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11,wherein the instructions are further executed by the processor to adjustthe alignment guide automatically without user intervention so that theat least one feature is displayed within the alignment guide.
 16. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein theinstructions are executed by the processor to capture the information bystoring the information in a memory.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions arefurther executed by the processor to receive user-inputted instructionsfor selecting the alignment guide, and generate the alignment guideaccording to the received instructions.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instrument includesindicia.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,wherein the determination of whether the at least one feature alignswith the alignment guide comprises a determination of whether an edge ofthe at least one feature is parallel to an edge of the alignment guide.20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein thedetermination of whether the at least one feature aligns with thealignment guide comprises a determination of whether the at least onefeature is enclosed within the alignment guide.